Method of and apparatus for manufacturing strands for wire ropes



Oct. 21, 1930. A F. FESSL I 1,779,309

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING STRANDS FOR WIRE ROPES Filed April 15, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 H'H ll l llll H TT RNEYS Oct. 21, 1930. F. FESSL 1,779,309

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING STRANDS 'FOR WIRE ROPES Filed April 15, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR lrdz narwz j-ssz ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 21, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FERDINAND FESSL, 0F VIENNA, AUSTRIA, ASSIGNOR TO FELTEN & GUILLEAUME FABRIK 'ELEKTRISOHER KABEL,-STAHL-UND KUPFERWERKE AKTIEN-GESELL- SOIIAFT, 0F VIENNA, AUSTRIA, AN AUSTRIAN COMPANY METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING STBANDS FOR WIRE BOPES Application filed April 15, 1929, Serial No. 355,407, and in Austria A ril 20, 1928.

This invention relates to the method of and apparatus for manufacturing strands for wire ropes and has for its object to provide a method of and apparatus for manufacturing strands for wire ropes such ropes being free from inner tensions.

In the manufacture of wire ropes free from inner tensions care must be taken that the wires in the finished ropes are free from torsion tensions as well as free from flexure tensions. The freedom from torsion strains is secured, as is well known, by imparting to the wire bobbins by means of suitable devices at each revolutoin of the stranding cage a complete reverse revolution of 360, so that no torsion is set up in the wire. But flexure strains of the wires produced in course of the stranding operation cannot be prevented and the tension in the wires due thereto can be eliminated only by suitable preparatory shaping of the same.

For this purpose it has been proposed to bend beforehand each individual wire by means of a special device into the form which which it is to have in the finished rope. This method is complicated and expensive.

Furthermore a process has also been pro posed in which the wires without any preparatory bending, are stranded on an ordinary cord stranding machine whereupon the finished strands undergo a preparatory bending and are then stranded together to form a rope. While this method is simpler and cheaper it is open to the objection that it is mainly applicable to strands formed of comparatively thin wires.

By the present method it is possible to manufacture wire ropes practically free from inner tensions of strands composed of thick wires without the necessity of a preparatory bending of each individual wire by a special device. For this purpose according to the present invention in stranding the strands the wires are so guided that on entering the stranding die they are subjected to periodically varying flexure strains both with reference to direction and degree whereby to each individual Wire that permanent form is imparted which it is to have in the finished rope. A strand thus produced is not straight but helically Wound corresponding to its future position in the rope.

The guiding of the wires can for instance in a simple way be effected by arranging the stranding die eccentrically to the axis of the stranding cage and by having it revolved around this axis during the process of stranding. By properly selecting the eccentricity of the die and its speed of revolution around the stranding axis in relation to the speed of drawing off the strand, strands may he produced which not only show the helical form required by their proper position in the rope, but also have no tendency to unstrand or unravel. A rope composed of such strands is practically free from inner ten sions.

In the annexed drawings Figure 1 illustrates by way of example a diagrammatical longitudinal section of an apparatus for carrying into practice the method, the lay pl-(zlte of the stranding cage being only shown, an

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus, on a reduced scale.

Referring to the drawings, X is the stranding device and 12 the stranding cage having the Wire carrying bobbins l3'and the apertured lay plate 1 on the axis 12 The stranding cage is of an old and well known construction. The wires pass from the bobbins through the openings of the lay plate to the stranding die 2. This die is arranged eccentrically to the stranding axis and is carried by the detachable plate 4 fixed to the flange 5 of the hollow shaft 6. This shaft is driven by the shaft 10 through the medium of gear wheels 7 8, 9, the last of which gears into the teeth 11 on the periphery of the flange 5. The shaft 10 is driven from the stranding cage.

Owing to the eccentric arrangement of the stranding die revolving around the stranding axis the angles under which the wires are fed to such die vary continuously and therefore vary also the flexure strains to which these wires are subjected on entering into the stranding die. The strand thus produced passes through the hollow shaft 6 in a heland in this form it is wound onto a drum or supplied to the rope making machine.

By exchanging the plate 4 and the gear wheels 8, 9 the eccentricity and the speed of revolution of the stranding dies may be so adjusted in relation to the speed of drawing of? the strand that the wires and strands are brought into the shape which corresponds to their future position in the rope to be made. Instead of a detachable plate t, fixed to the flange 5, the stranding die may be so arranged that the distance of its axis from the stranding axis can be changed as required. The strands thus produced show no tendency of unstranding or unravelling. A rope made of such strands is practically free from inner tensions.

What I claim is:

1. In an apparatus for manufacturing strands for wire ropes the combination of a stranding cage, a guiding device for the wires rotating with this stranding cage, a stranding die, means for carrying such die in an eccentric position to the axis of the stranding cage and means for rotating such die carrying means round the said axis.

2. In an apparatus for manufacturing strands for wire ropes the combination of a stranding cage, a guiding device for the wires rotating with this stranding cage, a stranding die, means for carrying such die in an eccentric position to the axis of the stranding cage, such means being adjustable in order to vary the eccentricity of the die and means for rotating such die carrying means round the said axis, such means being adjustable in order to vary the rotative speed of the die.

3. The step in the manufacture of the strands of wire ropes, consisting in imparting to the strand composed of a plurality of wires, a helical form during the stranding portion of forming thereof.

4. A method for manufacturing of strands for wire ropes, wherein the ropes will be substantially free from internal tensions, comprising the step of feeding the individual wires during the process of forming the strands to the stranding-die at periodically varying angles, in order that the wires be subjected to a periodically Varying flexurev both with reference to direction and degree and whereby a permanent deforation of the Wires is performed in such a way that the wires and at the same time the strand is formed corresponding to their proper shape in the finished wire ropes.

5. A method for manufacturing of strands for wire ropes, wherein the ropes will be substantially free from internal tensions, comprising the step of introducing the individual wires required to build up the strands into a stranding die revolving around an axis eccentrio to such die and in alignment with the stranding axis, in order that a helical permature.

FERDINAND FESSL. 

